I know why you stay
by BreakfastForLife
Summary: JoeyxRyou Joey knows the pain of being hit and wants to show Ryou true love. OneShot.
1. Chapter 1

Joey looked over at his friends.

All of them happily in love.

Each for their own reasons.

Each beautiful reason.

Yugi with Yami.

They where the same in dress and music and games. But they where not each other in moods, Yugi was small and cute. Had a long temper but be sure to run once you angered him. Yami was tall and quickly angered. But they both made the other happy. They both did all they could to please each other. So much that Yami had given Yugi an engagement ring with a small engravement oh the words 'your move'. Because of how often they said that when playing the games they loved.

Joey thought of him and Seto. He had no clue as to how they fit but they did. Seto was overly protective. Where he had never know what it felt like to have someone touch you for happiness. They where so alike. Both hard as stone that could only be weakened by their siblings. Joey had said many times the sweet things Seto did for him. The ice cream party last summer and the time Seto had rented out an arcade for him just to play the newest game. If you where lucky you could hear Seto mumble how bad the food was at lunch compared to Joeys which he had been eating for almost a year now.

Next he looked to the only straight couple in his group of friends. Tristan and Tea. They looked so happy. Tea was trying to fix her hair and Tristan kept messing it up right afterwards. Their love was an annoying one. One where they teased each other. Joey remembered how often he had heard Tea moaning and begging Tristan when he put her on a limit of kisses she could have.

Next he looked to his right and watched as Rachel put an arm around his sister. Serenity was talking to Yugi. Her brown eyes open with excitement. He had seen her eyes with the same excitement when she called her lovers name 'Rachel' with her returning it with a 'Serenity'. Their love was a storybook. They knew each other so well, best friends before dating. Rachel had done everything Serenity could have wanted. She teased her and painted her nails and small things of kindness but had many times punched people over her. Like Seto had done for him several times.

But the one he had yet to understand was sitting in front of him.

Ryou and Bakura.

Ryou was so soft and sweet. Bakura was hard and mean. Bakura was so strong and muscular where Ryou was small and breakable. Bakura was the type of person who yelled and threw things. Where Ryou couldn't raise his voice to a fly.

There had been many time Joey had wondered if Bakura was hitting him. Ryou and Bakura just didn't fit. Not like Yugi and Yami. To Joey there relationship was one of tough love something Joey knew Ryou couldn't handle.

Joey looked around the table and nodded to himself.

Everyone fit but Bakura and Ryou.

When they broke up he knew Ryou would be welcome in his and Setos bed or Yugis and Yamis. Bakura would be welcome with Marik and Malik from down the road.

Joey looked to Ryou and wondered how many scars and bruises he would fine on that pale skin.

Then he turned and saw Bakura tightening his grip on the smaller of the two. Joey knew that it would leave a bruise. Like the others he had seen.

On Ryous wrist and neck.

Only half as many scars as Joey would put on Bakura if he found any on Ryou.

Joey knew why Ryou stayed. The same reason he couldn't leave his dad. He loved him whether or not the love was returned.

Joey knew right then that he would show Ryou true love when he left Bakura.

Joey nodded and looked at his other friends. Yes Ryou would know how Yugi and Tea felt, and Joey would show him.

oey got up from the table and grabbed his bag.

"Mutt?" Seto ask. Watching as gathered his things.

"I'm gonna go use the bathroom and then head to class. I'm fine." Joey said.

Thinking of the letter he was gong to put in Ryou's locker. Joey went to the bathroom and wrote the note.

 _Dear Ryou,_

 _I know why you stay with him. He hits you, but you stay because you think your not good enough. When in truth it's just one sided love. You love him and he returns it with hitting you. You think that it's love when it's not. Ryou I could show you love. I could show you what love should be. I could do better then him. 3:30 my place_

 _Joey_

Joey slide the note in Ryous locker and walked to class.

He sent Seto a text and told him he had to do something and would see him later in the day.

Joey was his house at 3:26 looking at the door hoping to see the pale flower and show it Love. Knock Knock Joey opened the door. He saw Ryou.

"Could you tell?" Ryou ask Joey nodded and pulled him into the house. "And you'll be able to tell him what love is after tonight."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

RosalindHawkins, here you go. You asked for more and I'm giving it. I mostly don't write this ship but you like it so I will give.

By the time the night of love shared between the two had ended Ryou was wrapped up in Joey's arms on the small bed they had shared. They had awoken after an hour of sleep. Ryou smiled at Joey who was on top of him and he returned the smile.

"You have a hickey on you." Joey said sitting up. He looked towering to Ryou whom was laying on the bed.

Ryou's wide brown eyes became wider.

"I do?" He ask his voice shacking slightly. Joey nodded and kissed Ryou's nose.

"Seto won't mind about this. He has to sleep with some of his business partners kids to get better equipment. He won't mind our night. Tho he might want one with all of us together." Joey winked and walked to the bathroom coming back with makeup. "I learned how to cover the hickey's he got so I'm sure I can cover yours. Besides its very small."

Joey smiled at Ryou and sat on his hips and smirked at the blush the small boy gave. They where both naked nothing separating them from touching skin the way they had last night but a small blanket.

Joey put the small amount of makeup on the small boy smiling at his work before handing a hand held mirror to his new found lover.

Ryou's eyes widened he couldn't tell where the love mark had been.

"I wanted to be a makeup artist." Joey said getting up fro his position over Ryou and stretching. "I'm gonna get dressed and make some supper. It's 6. What did you tell Bakura that made him let you stay?"

"I told him I was doing a project with you for astronomy. I told him we would sleep in the day and work at night with the stars." Ryou said picking up a hair tie from the beside table and pulling his hair up and beginning to tie it.

"Ryou." Joey started. "How long has he been abusing you?"

Ryou's arms stopped doing what they where doing and slowly fell from their height above his head. "All my life. Before we dated he said he would stop if I let him have me. I did. That was 3 years ago." Ryou's once wide eyes now where half their size. The eyelids dropped and tears pilled up in the eyes of the white haired man behind Joey. Joey turned to face Ryou.

"If I could help you get out of the relationship and into mine and Seto's would you do it? I love you. Not like I love Seto. With Seto I love fighting him. The angry love he gives is amazing. But you. Your small and soft and I want what we had a few hours ago again."

Ryou's wet eyes looked at Joey with love and surprise. "I want it again too. Help me get him away from me and I'm yours."

Joey smiled and kissed his new secret lover. "I'll talk to Seto and he'll help us. Get dressed I'll cook and then we should probably do our homework we have school tomorrow."

Ryou sat up in the bed and finished his hair before pulling on his clothes from last night. How lucky he was Joey was a soft lover a harsh one like Bakura whom ripped and pulled clothing off of his skin. Ryou dressed and so started smelling food coming from the kitchen and walked down the hall to the kitchen to see Joey cooking and hearing Seto'd voice on speaker phone.

"Puppy where are you?"  
"My apartment. I'm here with Ryou." Joey turned to see Ryou behind him. "Say hi Ryou."

"Hello, Seto,"

"Evening Ryou."

"Seto be nice to my cream puff." Joey said giving Ryou a wink.

Seto huffed on the phone.

"Seto I think I want Ryou in our group. But the thing is he's in a bad relationship now, could you help us?"

The silence on the other end of the phone made Ryou frown. What if Seto didn't want him with them? What if seto told Bakura and Bakura hit him.

"Cream Puff do you want to join us?"

Ryou nodded and in a meek voice spoke. "Yes."

"Then I'll have it fixed. I'll make sure Bakura leaves you alone."

"Thank you Babe!" Joey yelled in the kitchen.

"Seto…can we call me something else? Bakura called me that."

"Then you are now a kitten." Joey exclaimed.

Seto laughed. "I'm a zookeeper. A Puppy and a Kitten and a god knows what else Mokibua drags home."

"Well we gotta go eat Seto bye."

"Bye bye Kitten. Bye bye Puppy." The phone hung up and Ryou let out a breath he forgot he was holding in.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

As they finished their homework Joey wrapped an arm around Ryou's slim waist. He pulled him close to him.

"Want a shower?"

Ryou blushed. "I know I agreed but I technically am dating Bakura and I don't want to be a cheater." Ryou's words seemed to drone off before dropping off entirely.

"As it pleases you dear."

Ryou smiled at Joey's kindness. This was new but he loved it. It was something he had always hoped for this.

As Ryou was thinking Joey left.

Ryou turned around to find Joey but instead saw no one. You frowned and listened to the quite. Then he heard the sound of running water. Ryou stood up and started walked to the shower.

Maybe one taste of it will be fine?

Ryou stopped. Thats how all addictions started. Was he addicted? Was this what love felt like? Or was this the same addiction people had when they got a new toy?

Ryou's heart thundered in his ears.

What if Joey thought of him as a new toy and Seto soon tossed him out? What if Bakura came back after that? That would leave him with a large heartbreak.

A knock on the door sounded in the room and silenced the thoughts.

Joey's voice answered it.

"Come in Seto!"

How was he so trusting?

"Hello Ryou."

What should he say?

"Kitty?"

An arm wrapped around his waist. It was tight and strong. Just like Bakura and his strong arms that once cradled him then turned and beat.

"You're pale. Sit down. Are you sick?"

Yes of the thoughts in my head. I don't want you to be Bakura.

Ryou felt his body be lifted and placed on a lap. A small voice spoke to him telling him things would be okay. How things would get better.

But would they?

"Your my kitty cat now. You'll be okay. I swear. Okay?"

That couldn't be Bakura could it?

"Seto?"

That was Joey his voice was trembling. That wasn't Bakura. It couldn't be. He was never weak. But for some reason in the weakness of Joey's voice he found strength.

"I think he's having a spell like you did. Go make some tea."

A spell? Joey had this problem too? What if Seto go tired of fixing it? Would he be replaced?

"Here Ryou honey tea."

A warm cup was in his hands and he felt another hand in his hair.

"It'll get better. I know whats going on. We can fix it, okay?"

Ryou felt like nodding but that was to weak he wanted to speak so he did. He croaked.

"Okay."

Both voices cried out. The mug was dropped on the floor staining the carpet and Ryou was hugged by to people with arms and strength like Bakura but even more strength still because they knew how to stop it and they wouldn't hurt him.

"Okay Seto. Okay Joey."

 **I used some from my pat here and when ever I'm talking to my Rose and she has something going on I use the okay thing. I've always felt calm after that, and it always works for me and her. So do you like it Rose?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Ryou sat between the two towering men, surprised at the way they reminded him of Bakura. Seto with his school suit pressed and cleaned and Joey with his grumble due to the early hour. Bakura had often made him iron his clothes and he had often complained about getting up early. But the reality of the situation sat on Ryou worse then then the cold that was wrapping itself around Ryou.

He was looking for Bakura in them both. As to how time and he had moved so recklessly and decided it was a good idea to date them both and not break up with Bakura first he did not know but the same time that told him this was a good idea was still telling him to flinch at random times and drop his head every time he heard them sift in the seat beside him.

Joey was moving the the seat trying to get comfortable and sleep again was scaring him worse then it should and Seto was so quite sitting on his other side drinking his coffee with a stern face was scaring him as well.

Ryou decided it was best to look forward and hope Bakura wasn't at the front of the school waiting on him. Maybe if he was lucky Bakura wasn't at school because he over slept because Ryou hadn't woken him up. That hope circled his mind in a tornado of thoughts of what would happen if he had to go home and tell him or if he had to tell him in school and then he had to run away from him in class or the halls.

He didn't know which was worse. His home where things where never safe or the school where he felt safe?

The car slowed and as Ryou looked out the window he noticed a boy with white hair and red eyes was staring into his soul. Ryou gulped and felt two hands holding his. He looked up and infant of him was Seto and Joey.

"You'll do find Kitty."

"Yeah don't cha worry. We gotcha."

They where so kind. Why? He didn't deserve it. He was stepping in on their relationship that had seemed to work for so long.

He nodded his head at them and the three of them got out. Seto buttoned his jacket and Ryou held on to Joey's hand like a life line and Joey waved at Yugi before running over to him and leaving Ryou with no hand to hold.

Seto grabbed his hand and smiled at him. They walked like that over to the group of friends they shared and Ryou no longer felt cold. Two red hot eyes where boring holes into his back with hatred.

Ryou smiled at his group of friends and let out a breath. He'd survived his first ten minutes of the day.


	5. Chapter 5

**So who hates me? *Sees many hands* Yeah I took forever but you are gonna hate me more soon.**

 **Chapter 5:**

Ryou had a new reason to be thankful for his brains. He didn't have any classes with Bakura. But his brain was failing to give him any decent excuses. He didn't have any for why he had cheated. He didn't have any for why he was breaking up with him that didn't fall back on the cheating.

Cheating. Bakura did it all the time why did it bother Ryou so much he had done it once? It was a black stain on her record. He had not stayed faithful to his harsh lover like he should have. You never cheat on a lover. Harsh or not, and he had. He the good kid had done the unthinkable.

He was so disrespectful.

His breath wasn't coming right.

He was a disgrace.

He was getting dizzy.

He belonged in a dump with what he had done.

He felt like he was going to get up. He got up and ran out the door barley keeping himself from tripping on the the change in carpet to tile on the floors. Ryou ran down what seemed to be endless halls until he found a bathroom and then he tripped. He tripped with his but in the air and his face beside the toilet. How nice he could puke in the toilet without making a mess, but the cool tile felt so nice on his skin.

Ryou sat up and looked around. This bathroom didn't have any doors on the stalls. This was the bathroom on mechanic hall. The hall where Bakura had his classes. No wonder his feet brought him here. They had done it for three years in class breaks. Bakura would be coming to get himself off in someway using Ryou. Ryou decided to get up or atlas try to. He failed. His arms where weak and he couldn't get up. He sat on his knees and elbows trying to press himself up but before he could he heard a voice.

"Glad to know you knew what I was thinking."

Ryou's skin became cold all over and burning at the same time. His pants where dropped and he was pressed into without stretching like Joey had the night before. Ryou started to cry in pain but his face was hit onto the toilet and he couldn't form words. So he let it happen and cried.

He cried like he had been doing for years now.

Bakura finished in him and got up to leave. Ryou couldn't get up it hurt to much. It hurt far to much. His skin was cold and sickly hot in some places. The places Bakura had put his hands. They where far to hot. They burned him. They hurt so badly and none at all. Because his physical pain was nothing to the pain of having to explain to Joey what had just happened.

Ryou looked down at his stomach. He had cheated.

 **I told you but the next chapter is life. Anyways this is a Christmas Present for my Rose! Yes Brandy I'm updating yours next. I swear. Merry Christmas Guys!**


	6. Chapter 6

**BreakfastForLife: *Dodges pot and pans and rotting tomatoes* Why do you carry this stuff guys? Honestly? Anyways you folks who like some of my stuff have a special someone to thank for this. *Does fake drum roll for effect* Rosalind Hawkins! So go check her out and tell her thanks. She's the reason I'm updating all my books. So on with the chapter! I have a surprise at the end.**

 **Chapter 6:**

Ryou laid on the ground and cried. This body was sticky and gross, but mostly it was used. He couldn't offer it to Joey or Seto any more. He thought cheating on Bakura was hard but this, this. Laying on the ground with a cum stain on his shirt and cum falling from his rear this was so much worse.

What if someone came and saw him like this?

What if word got around?

Ryou was having sex in the bathrooms. Give him a call when things get stressful.

Oh how Ryou hated his brain.

But what if Joey heard? Or Seto?

Would they kick him out? Would Seto tell Joey that the new toy was broken and to not play with him? That it was dirty and they didn't need it in the house? That he was worthless and that Seto could get him a much better toy?

Ryou sat up and bite back a cry and cleaned himself up. He buttoned his jacket and washed his legs and went to class. It was painful but that was okay.

Ryou had done something to deserve this pain. Something terrible.

Ryou sat in class and thought, not about the subject the teacher was teaching, but of what he would do when he got home.

He'd pack a bag and run away.

No he had school to finish.

He'd pack a bag and get a restraining order on Bakura? That'd help with the cheating.

No he didn't have money.

He'd pack a bag and go to his friend's?

Yes. That was it. He lived close to the school and not even Bakura knew of him.

His friend from therapy was rather nice. He helped Ryou as much as he could. He knew what it was like to go months without a father, to be alone in a house, to be abused by a lover. But Mako, his half brother, was lucky. It didn't last long for him and he found a lover to take care of him. Mana.

Mako and Mana where very happy together. Ryou often wanted a relationship like that. Happy lovers and a healthy life.

Yes he'd do that.

He'd leave without a note and he'd stay with his friend.

But if he still went to school how would he hide from Seto? From Joey? From Bakura?

Ryou finished his day thinking it over.

He had many ideas.

Surgery.

Cutting his hair.

Changing his name.

Many stupid things that wouldn't work.

He even thought up a lie for Joey and Seto, he'd be going to get his things and that he'd be at the house by seven, funny how good he was at lying. Just not thinking up lies.

Ryou gathered a lot of his things. All of his uniforms and underwear. Next he grabbed snack bars and water bottles and his petty cash. Incase his sibling wasn't home.

Lucky Ryou when he rung the doorbell friend opened the door.

"Ryou!" He screamed and gave him a bone crushing hug. "How are you? Why do you have a bag? Did he kick you out? You have to stay with us!"

Ryou started crying. "No so much has happened today! I need somewhere quite."

Mako hugged him and pulled him inside to the couch.

"Tell me about it."

"A friend of mine invited me over for sex. I went. I lied to Bakura and went. Then his lover invited me into their group of lovers, I think it's just the two of them. But today I wasn't thinking and went to where Bakura enjoys himself with me and he had sex with me. I didn't want it but I came and I hate myself!" Ryou started screaming over the tears as he said that.

He did hate himself.

He hated his life.

He hated Bakura.

He hated Bakura. For using him when he was so weak form missing his dad to now where he was to weak to say no to him.

"I want this all to stop!"

Mako nodded and rubbed his back.

"Break up with all of them and change something about yourself."

Ryou looked up. "Why? What will that fix?"

Mako smirked and touched his hair. "I was long before I meet Kisara. After she abused me I cut it. I changed a part of myself that she liked so I could rebel against her and be a new person. It helps. I promise."

"That's a lot to do Mako."

"I know. So why don't we just get to feed, bathed and in bed. Don't go to school tomorrow, or the rest of the week. I'll write you a doctors note. Mental health is just as important."

Ryou cried.

"Thank you Mako."

Mako smiled.

"You know where the bathroom is. So go clean up. I'll tell Mana you're here."

Mako turned and walked way. Ryou went to the bathroom in the back of the house and stared a hot bath. He sat in the bath water and cried.

He wasn't sure why he was crying.

He just knew that things where hard right now but things would only get harder.

 **BreakfastForLife: I know it's sad but I promise it's getting better. Oh and um Rosalind. You like this book right? Cause it belongs to you now! *Claps* Thanks for being my best friend! I couldn't have made it through the summer or this school year without you. Funny to think we'll be friends' for a year in about a month April 21! *In a small voice* or 20. I forgot. But when I'm fully done It'll go back and clean it up. Grammar and misspellings and such.**


End file.
